Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets is not The Fifth Element or Guardians of the Galaxy.
I know this film was a long awaited passion for director Luc Besson, it is based on the long running French science fiction comics series Valérian (1967-2010), created by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières, which Besson read as a kid.
Valerian is visually stunning to look at—the colors that have been achieved along with the worlds that Besson has created with some impressive CGI makes you want to keep watching and you can see Besson’s eye for details in every scene. Especially the opening sequences and the scene with Rihanna as a shape-shifting entertainer named Bubble.
T-b: Luc Besson, Cara Delevingne and Dane DeHaan
©2017 Angela María Ortíz S.
I like director Luc Besson’s work ethics but the film didn’t do much for me. The film felt long and tedious. I thought some of the dialogue could have been shorter and it tried too hard to be funny—but that’s how I felt. That is why I find it interesting to hear what filmmakers say about their film projects and here you can listen to director Besson and the two lead actors, Cara Delevingne and Dane DeHaan talk about their experiences on making the film.
Valerian cast
The plot: In the 28th century, Valerian (DeHaan) and Laureline (Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha-an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
The film also stars Clive Owen, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Kris Wu, Sam Spruell, and Herbie Hancock. Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets is in theaters July 21.
